Watermelon is a delicious fruit that makes for a refreshing treat during summers. Filled with red pulp and sweet juices, watermelon revives our body from the scorching heat outside. No wonder we all desperately wait for summers to gorge on this cool summer fruit. Drinking watermelon juice increases antioxidants in our body, which help us to stay healthy and hydrated and keep many diseases at bay. Watermelons are also rich in vitamin C that strengthens our immunity system and protect us from seasonal allergies and infections. This juicy fruit not just revives our body from inside, but it revitalises our skin, if applied from outside. Its high water content nurtures our skin and makes it soft, supple and flawless. Here are 4 DIY watermelon juice face masks to detox your skin this summer.

1. Watermelon Juice and Honey Face Mask For Tan Removal
It is because of excessive sun exposure, our skin tends to produce melanin, which makes our skin look darker and tanned. Watermelon juice and honey face mask is a perfect solution for the ones looking for an instant solution from tanned and damaged skin.

How To Apply: Mix equal amount of honey and cold watermelon juice. Wash your skin with cold water and pat dry it. Apply it on your face and neck, and let it stay for 30 minutes. Wash it off with fresh cold water.

2. Watermelon Juice And Yogurt Face Mask For Glowing Skin
Yogurt is known do to wonders for our skin and hair. The combination of watermelon juice and yogurt can give you a supple and radiant skin. Regular use of this face mask will makes your skin look younger and healthier.

How To Apply: Take a small bowl and add half cup of watermelon juice in it. Add one tablespoon of yogurt, and mix both the ingredients well. Apply the face mask on your face and neck, and let it stay for 20 minutes. Wash it off with cold water.

3. Watermelon And Lemon Juice For Dry Skin
If you have a dry skin, then bring this face mask to your rescue. Lemon will gently exfoliate your dry, dead skin cells, whereas honey and watermelon juice will moisturise and hydrate your rough skin.

How To Apply: Take two tablespoons of watermelon juice in a small bowl; add one tablespoon of lemon juice and one teaspoon of honey in it. Mix all the ingredients very well. Apply this face mask on your face and neck. Let it stay for 10 to 15 minutes, then wash it off with water.

4. Watermelon And Raw Milk For Brighter Skin
Milk is a great cleanser, especially raw milk, which makes your complexion fairer and brighter. It is also a great moisturiser that is known to heal dry skin cells. Milk is also known to treat sunburns and sunspots. Watermelon juice will rejuvenate your face and give you a fresh look.

How To Apply: Take one tablespoon of watermelon juice in a bowl. Add one tablespoon of raw milk, and mix them well. Apply the mask on your clean face and let it stay for 20 to 25 minutes. Wash it off with cold water.

So, what are you waiting for? Bring these refreshing watermelon juice face masks to your rescue and flaunt your soft, glowing skin this summer!

Talk about nutrition and carbs, proteins and fats come to the mind immediately. However, these are the macronutrients and are not the only group of nutrients. More important are the micronutrients, comprising of a group of very important substances known as minerals and vitamins.

Read on to know the most important vitamins and minerals that your body needs and the role they play:

- Vitamin A: Essential for healthy eyes, general growth and development and glowing skin. These are found in carrots, sweet potatoes and oranges.

- Vitamin B: These are essential for iron absorption, improved immunity and production of energy. Whole grains and unprocessed foods and vegetables like lentils, potatoes, bananas, yeast and molasses are good sources of these vitamins.

- Vitamin C: Required for iron absorption, blood clotting, elastic skin and antioxidant function. Found in good amounts in citrus fruits, guava, kiwi, grapefruits, strawberries, etc.

- Vitamin D: Extremely important for bone development, these are found in eggs, mushrooms and fish.

- Vitamin E: It improves blood circulation and reduces free radicals, which is essential for cancer protection. Almonds, nuts, tomatoes and sunflower seeds are good sources of vitamin E.

- Vitamin K: It is very essential for the process of blood coagulation. These are found in spinach, broccoli, kale and other green vegetables.

- Iron: Very essential ingredient for blood formation and muscle building. Clams, oysters, soybeans, lentils and spinach are great sources of iron.

- Calcium: Most important ingredient, as it helps in the formation of teeth and bones. Dairy products, tofu and cheese are very good sources.

- Zinc: A key ingredient essential for overall growth, immunity and fertility. Spinach, beans, oysters and dark chocolate carry a good amount of Zinc.

- Folic acid: Essential for iron absorption, cell regeneration, and in pregnancy for healthy development of the baby. Green leafy vegetables, asparagus, peas, seeds, nuts, lentils, beets, corn, etc. are good sources.

Trace minerals like iodine, manganese, copper, fluoride, selenium and chromium are also essential but in very small amounts. While these are not the only essential vitamins and minerals, these are the most important ones. The quantities of these substances required on a daily basis are very small, but critical for functions listed above. In addition, some of them also help in releasing free radicals, which provide protection against cancer and chronic inflammation. This helps prevent chronic health conditions like heart disease, diabetes and stroke.

An important point to consider is while there are multiple supplements available in the market today to make sure you get all of these nutrients, try to eat a wholesome meal and get these through natural sources to the maximum extent possible. The natural foods are the best source, and supplements should be used only when these cannot be obtained naturally.

Do you know you can make holi colors at home which are organic and natural and most important safe for you and your kids ? Whatever you teach them in early years when they start playing holi in Mumbai with neighbourhood, they will consider the same to be playful, safer and way to enjoy and celebrate. So better teach them safer lesson which are Eco-friendly too. Below are some simple steps to make home made colors.

Last year few young girls, teen and adults played holi with talcum powder and face creams to save their skins from those synthetic gulal, oil paints and varnish which damages the skin and wipes out all the face glory that were taken care and maintained upon spending huge amount at beauty parlors.

Keep the name handy ‘RANG DULAAR’ is the name of those safe organic gulal sold in Mumbai markets at cheaper rates, these colors are made up of dyed natural colors, rice flour by Vanstree which is special farm at Karnataka by NGO women farmers. These safe colors can be found at Sahakari Bhandar, Namdharis, Bombay Stores and Twenty Four Letter mantra which are all leading stores in Mumbai. Get your Gulal, Pichkaris and water balloons all made up of Organic products and enjoy the fun of this festival.

Making Holi Colors At Home

Making Water Colors

Orange : Take Hot Water and Add 500 gm of Tesu Flowers.

Blue : Take Hot Water and Dip Grate beetroot and Black Carrot for few hours.

Pink : One day before holi festive rang panchmi, Mis 500 gm rose petals into hot water.

Making Dry Colors

Pink : Make a mixture of Sindoor (Vermilion) and Maida.

Yellow : Use Besan with Turmeric Powder.

Green : Use Maida with Henna Powder.

Making Oil Colors

Red : Use mixture of Coconut Oil With Sindoor (Vermilion).

Yellow : Coconut Oil with Turmeric Powder.

What is Acne?

Acne is a chronic, inflammatory skin condition that causes spots and pimples, especially on the face, shoulders, back, neck, chest, and upper arms. Whiteheads, blackheads, pimples, cysts, and nodules are all types of acne. It is the most common skin condition in India, affecting up to 20 crore Indians yearly. It commonly occurs during puberty, when the sebaceous glands activate, but it can occur at any age. It is not dangerous, but it can leave skin scars.

The glands produce oil and are stimulated by male hormones produced by the adrenal glands in both males and females. At least 85 percent of people in India experience acne between the ages of 12 and 24 years.

Fast facts on acne
Here are some facts about acne.
Acne is a skin disease involving the oil glands at the base of hair follicles.
It affects 3 in every 4 people aged 11 to 30 years.
It is not dangerous, but it can leave skin scars.
Treatment depends on how severe and persistent it is.

Who are at risk to get affected by this disease?
Risk factors include genetics, the menstrual cycle, anxiety and stress, hot and humid climates, using oil-based makeup, and squeezing pimples. There are many suggested home remedies for acne, but not all of them are supported by research.

Diet: It is unclear what role diet plays in worsening acne. Scientists have found that people who consume a diet that offers a good supply of vitamins A and E and of zinc may have a lower risk of severe acne. One review describes the link between acne and diet as "controversial," but suggests that a diet with a low glycemic load may help.

Tea-tree oil: Results of a study of 60 patients published in the Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology, and Leprology suggested that 5-percent tea-tree oil may help treat mild to moderate acne.

Tea: There is some evidence that polyphenols from tea, including green tea, applied in a topical preparation, may be beneficial in reducing sebum production and treating acne. However, the compounds in this case were extracted from tea, rather than using tea directly.

Moisturizers: These can soothe the skin, especially in people who are using acne treatment such as isotretinoin, say researchers. Moisturizers containing aloe vera at a concentration of at least 10 percent or witch hazel can have a soothing and possibly anti-inflammatory effect.

What Causes Acne?
Human skin has pores that connect to oil glands under the skin. Follicles connect the glands to the pores. Follicles are small sacs that produce and secrete liquid. The glands produce an oily liquid called sebum. Sebum carries dead skin cells through the follicles to the surface of the skin. A small hair grows through the follicle out of the skin. Pimples grow when these follicles get blocked, and oil builds up under the skin. Skin cells, sebum, and hair can clump together into a plug. This plug gets infected with bacteria, and swelling results. A pimple starts to develop when the plug begins to break down.

Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) is the name of the bacteria that live on the skin and contributes to the infection of pimples.

Research suggests that the severity and frequency of acne depend on the strain of bacteria. Not all acne bacteria trigger pimples. One strain helps to keep the skin pimple-free.

Hormonal factors: A range of factors triggers acne, but the main cause is thought to be a rise in androgen levels. Androgen is a type of hormone, the levels of which rise when adolescence begins. In women, it gets converted into estrogen. Rising androgen levels cause the oil glands under the skin to grow. The enlarged gland produces more sebum. Excessive sebum can break down cellular walls in the pores, causing bacteria to grow.

Other possible triggers: Some studies suggest that genetic factors may increase the risk. Other causes include some medications that contain androgen and lithium, Greasy cosmetics, Hormonal changes, Emotional stress, Menstruation.

Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin, which is essential for various functions and it is not produced or stored by the body, so it is important that the food contains adequate amount of it. It plays a vital role in heart, eyes, skin, and prenatal health and immunity. Long-term non-availability of vitamin C can lead to various symptoms, which though are not immediately threatening, can turn dangerous in the long run.

1. Bruised skin: Easy bruising is one of the early symptoms of vitamin C deficiency. There could be capillaries which appear superficial and have an increased tendency to bruise and bleed. There could also be unexplained reddish purple marks on the skin in people who have low levels of vitamin C.

2. Bleeding gums: Another major indicator of vitamin C deficiency is swollen gums that tend to bleed easily. This again is related to their role in collagen formation and if not identified and treated in the early phases, it can lead to severe gum inflammation, periodontal disease, and even loss of teeth.

3. Slow wound healing: Vitamin C has an important role to play in connective tissue formation, and if there is less of vitamin C in the body, collagen formation is delayed. This can lead to prolonged and delayed healing of wounds, even simple ones like cuts and bruises. The added role of vitamin C as an immune booster also leads to reduced healing when there is vitamin C deficiency.

4. Nosebleeds: Frequent unexplained nosebleeds is another sign of vitamin C deficiency. Reduced amounts of vitamin C make the capillaries fragile causing them to bleed easily.

5. Dry skin: While weather does determine if the skin is dry or normal, vitamin C also does. The decreased levels of collagen can lead to an unhealthy skin which can turn red and can be dry and can also lead to keratosis pilaris, which is an accumulation of melanin pigments in the skin. Good amounts of vitamin D helps as a good anti-ageing agent and reduces wrinkles and retains moisture. It also has sun protective effects and antioxidant properties.

6. Unexplained weight gain: Vitamin C plays a vital role in fat metabolism and therefore deficiency leads to weight accumulation, especially around the waist. It helps oxidise fat and so helps in weight regulation.

7. Lowered immunity: Vitamin C deficiency affects the body’s susceptibility to infections, making it prone to more severe and frequent infections. People catching a common cold very frequently could be suffering from vitamin C deficiency.

8. Emotional health: Vitamin C is also a mood regulator, so inadequate amount can lead to depression. Try eating a juicy orange and see yourself feeling better!